JAMES MORRISON rose higher than the rest as the Baggies keep on ‘boing-boinging’ near the top of the Premier League table.

But it was unheralded Billy Jones’ contribution that settled this clash as Steve Clarke must think this managerial lark is a bit of a doddle.

West Brom have not had it this good for three decades and there is little sign of their rise stopping.

Now they have that all important away win in the bag which took them to 20 points in mid-November.

Some would see that total as halfway to safety but why should the archetypal yo-yo club look down?

Midfielder Morrison put Clarke’s men on their way by rising at the far post to head home Chris Brunt’s cross on 31 minutes.

And even though the impressive right-back Jones claimed his first goal since March 2011, it will surely go down as an own goal by Wigan skipper Gary Caldwell as his cross would not have troubled Ali Al-Habsi otherwise.

As a player I was top of the league in November but ended up fighting relegation. It sounds boring but we’re just taking it week by week

West Brom boss Steve Clarke

Wigan certainly played their part and Arouna Kone’s goal seconds after West Brom’s second made sure the Baggies could not rest easily.

But Roberto Martinez’s side lacked the required composure in front of goal to earn a point despite creating several chances.

Clarke may only be 11 league games into his managerial career but he is already not afraid to make big calls.

After two goals on Monday, Peter Odemwingie may have expected a starting spot.

Instead he was dropped to the bench while Boaz Myhill replaced groin injury victim Ben Foster in goal.

Clarke said: “I’m happy to be where we are this week but the Premier League is one that can bite you if you lose your focus.

“As a player I was top of the league in November but ended up fighting relegation. It sounds boring but we’re just taking it week by week.

“We’ve got the European champions at home next and we’ll approach that in the same way as every other game.

“An away win has been overdue as performances have been good but it’s good to finally get one as it was something that could be cast at us if we didn’t end that run.”

And he added: “And two of the players I brought in created the first goal – that makes me look good!”

Jonas Olsson was up for a physical battle and he got what he wanted with Wigan’s Ivan Ramis.

The Spaniard would pass for a doorman and at one corner it looked like he was trying to bundle Olsson out of the stadium!

He got away with that one but Wigan’s defending for Morrison’s opener deserved punishment.

Being caught short at right-back and allowing Brunt to pick up the scraps after Romelu Lukaku’s cross drifted across the pitch was bad enough.

Not tracking Morrison’s run, letting him leap above Caldwell and reach the Northern Ireland international’s pinpoint centre, was even worse. But Albion had the lead they deserved when Jones skipped past Ben Watson and his cross was turned into his own net by Caldwell’s chest.

Any thoughts of holding the two-goal advantage lasted a matter of seconds as from the restart Kone fi red home after Jean Beausejour’s ball made its way across the box.

Wigan manager Martinez said: “After two good results, we weren’t expecting to go 2-0 down and we didn’t cope with it well enough.

“To concede two early goals was really disappointing and when you play against a side like West Brom, the priority is to score the first goal.

“We’re not the sort of side that can get results from a scrappy performance and we weren’t as good as we could be – that was frustrating.”